Who You Going to Call?

The now classic line from “Ghostbusters” encapsulates nicely the idea behind our annual Buyer’s Guide. However, today the Ghostbusters line is not as representative as it was when the movie launched. We have many other ways to communicate than by phone.

In addition to “who you going to call,” we must now add, “who you going to link to” and “who you going to email or tweet or Instagram” and on it goes. The operative word in these questions is “who.” Our Buyer’s Guide is the front door to getting an answer to the question of “who.” The answer to that question is primary regardless of the communication channel one chooses to use for contacting “who.”

Many shops tell me that they can sometimes feel a bit insulated from things that may be occurring outside their four walls. That’s understandable since focusing on one’s business is and should be a top priority. But the need to keep in touch with industry trends, new process developments, new products and services that can help make the shop more efficient and profitable is also a driving force.

In an effort to keep abreast of what’s happening up the street, across the country or across the pond, many shops elect to attend trade shows such as PMTS, join trade associations such as the PMPA and subscribe to trade magazines such as Production Machining. What these three avenues of industry contact have in common is each has been tailored to present products, services and process ideas that are relevant to the business interest of precision machined parts manufacturers.  

Another information source that some shops use is to welcome salespeople into their shops. I understand that this can be a tricky policy for some shops because of less than positive past experiences. I submit that the “shiny shoes and a big smile” salesperson caricature is fading fast as the complexity of the selling proposition demands technical knowledge over fast talk and good dinner.

I know many successful salespeople in our industry today who succeed because they have adopted a more enlightened view of customer relationships. These salespeople are not trying to be your best friend, although if done right that might be a result. Rather, they understand not everything in their bag is appropriate at all times.

Moreover, they will tell you so. Successful salespeople are in this business for the long haul and that is only possible by being honest with their customers. If that costs a sale today, it will cement another sale down the road. It’s short-sighted to push the wrong solution on a customer because the right solution isn’t in the catalog.

Every business needs to make purchases. Some are relatively routine, while others, involving engineered products and services needed in today’s manufacturing, require sales engineers who can fill the role of consultant. Our Buyer’s Guide is designed to help you get the right salesperson to visit your shop, not to sell you something, but to help you buy what you need to solve a problem. 

So as the first step in researching a purchase for your business, use this guide, which is organized into categories to help you identify companies that provide what you’re looking for. It’s pretty straightforward.

The contact information in the directory is comprised of many companies you may be familiar with, but there are also some you may not know. While there is a tendency to deal with companies that are known, it might be worth putting some that are not as familiar on your contact list.

With a contact list in hand, visit our online Supplier Directory at productionmachining.com/suppliers to link to the company’s website to get more detailed information as well as contact information. Hot links to the suppliers’ websites are included in the online directory. All this research is possible without leaving your desk.

As competitive as business is today, it’s never been more important to be as efficient as possible when contemplating a purchasing decision. It’s equally important to get the right products and services at the best price and those that will perform as promised.

Using the Buyer’s Guide and its online component in tandem is a tool that will save time, money and headaches. When you’re ready to make a purchase, try using these tools in your research. An educated customer is usually welcomed by a good sales engineer.